First day at a new school is a nerve wracking experience for everyone. I still remember my first day of High School, walking through the gates; 5 feet 2 inches of pure awkward prepubescent teenager. But first day of university in a new country with no clue of how anything works or where your classes are? Now THAT is cause for a whole new level of anxiety.

One look at the yelp ratings for the New York British Consulate General and you’ll find yourself pacing the floor, furiously biting your nails. I wish I could tell you that all of those UK visa horror stories are highly unlikely… but that would be lying.

Every year, US students rely on The Common Apps to send their application to multiple universities at once. Likewise, UK students have UCAS to do the same thing. Although you can use commonapps.org for some international schools, only a handful of UK universities have joined the website so chances are, you’ll have to use UCAS to get the job done.

Before you panic, don’t.

UCAS is very similar to common apps. In my opinion, it’s actually much easier, you just have to understand their lingo. Let’s walk through it together, shall we?

From the Ivy Leagues scattered across the east coast to the UC’s scattered across the west coast, it may be tempting to stay within mainland USA when exploring your options for higher education. However, depending on your major, personality, and financial situation, it may be smarter to earn a degree abroad.